Planetary Positions

Current Moon Phase

The key to abundance is meeting limited circumstances with unlimited thoughts.–Marianne Williamson

Well, the winged one has done it again. Mercury, the planet of communication, writing, ideas, teaching and learning, officially turned retrograde right after midnight on April 29, 2016, in the sign of Taurus. It joins the Sun and Venus in Taurus and is joined by the Moon on May 6 and 7.

The theme this month with five planets now retrograde (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto and Mercury) is to think of the prefix RE. It’s time to take stock and redo, refurbish, re-think, re-evaluate, re-invest and revise.

Retrograde planets can be oh so frustrating but there is a hidden value in their backward motion. The universe is giving us permission to take things a little easier, to slow down and take the time to really think things through before acting. While it isn’t the best time to start new things, it is a superb time to plan and work through any problems that you have relegated to the “I’ll think about that later” corner of your mind.

You might even find that old issues are coming back unbidden by you. It’s funny how that works. Those issues re-appear as though a cosmic hand is reaching out to shake you and make you pay attention. The issues that are especially in view during the plethora of Taurus energy are:

Things relating to your financial and physical security.

The beauty and caretaking of the earth.

Gardening, bird watching, flower tending and all things natural.

Removing toxic chemicals from your home and yard.

Taking a quiet walk(s) in nature.

Wearing the color green and being aware of its symbolism for you and the planet. Green is the color of money and also the color of our environmental concern for our beloved mother earth.

In last month’s newsletter I wrote about Mars and Pluto retrograde. Mars is in Taurus and Pluto is in Capricorn. They are linked to each other in an easy way (trine). The symbolism of Mars and Pluto gives us the will to act (Mars) and the power (Pluto) to carry out our plans. You should act on those plans after Mars goes direct on the last day of June.

Mark May 9, 2016 on Your Calendar – I am really psyched about the energy around May 9 this year.

North Node Transits 18 Degrees Pisces – the Degree of the March 8-9 eclipse

The North Node transiting the eclipse degree will bring you back to any ideas, intuitive thoughts or events that happened around the time of the March solar eclipse. Use this transit to bring your daydreams and wishes out into the open and make them practical. Matters around health and healing will be especially strong. If you are a person who suffers from a health condition that has been hard to diagnose, now is the time to once again try to find the right healing modality.

This conjunction of the North Node with the eclipse point begins a six to 12 month period of rebuilding in all areas of your life that were affected by the eclipse. You can refresh your memory on the March 9 eclipse by re-reading my March 2016 newsletter regarding that solar eclipse.

Jupiter Turns Direct

Jupiter turns direct in Virgo on May 9. The stock market should level out a little bit (though still choppy until the middle of September 2016) and you can start to move forward in business and employment matters (somewhat cautiously since Saturn is still retrograde). The wonderful thing about Jupiter turning direct is its effect on the psyche. During periods of negativity nothing moves and little manifests. Optimism returns when Jupiter goes direct.

So while you are working with the retrograde planets and revising, rethinking and re-doing add in a touch of Jupiter optimism. The recipe is to:

Make grounded, practical plans.

Add in optimism and abundance consciousness.

Set a time frame to implement your plan after Mars turns direct on June 23.

Celebrate the pause in action that is taking you one step closer to abundance.

It’s not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, an intentional pause and reset, or a new route to start to see new options and new possibilities. Kristin Armstrong

March was a month of change due to a solar eclipse in Pisces and a lunar eclipse in Libra. Our spiritual relationship to the world and our close personal relationships were targeted for change. The cosmos asked us to release any stuck areas in our lives. The equinox was a balance and decision-making point. The first week in April is an action week. Put things in motion now. The energy changes next week.

The rest of April is a time to slow down, take stock, revise, re-evaluate and re-structure. It can seem like life is moving at a snail’s pace, especially after Mars turns retrograde on April 17.

Jupiter and Saturn were both in retrograde motion when the month began. Mars turns retrograde on the 17th, Pluto on the 18th and Mercury turns retrograde on the 28th.

Let’s take a look at how Mars retrograde and Pluto retrograde impact your life in April 2016.

Mars Retrograde from April 17, 2016 until June 29, 2016

Mars in your birth chart rules how you act, your energy, your drive, your determination and how you assert yourself. Of course we need to continue our daily routine when Mars is retrograde, but certain activities are not favored when Mars is retrograde.

Actions to Avoid When Mars Is Retrograde

Refrain from starting new activities, including strenuous exercise programs. If you must start something new, put extra effort into planning for the unexpected. Others involved in new projects will tend to oppose your efforts.

Mars retrograde is not conducive to lawsuits and mediation matters. Try to get things settled before April 17th or extended until after July 2nd when Mars is once again moving forward. This is not a good time to have “that talk” with your significant other.

Postpone any elective surgery until after Mars goes direct. If possible, be especially careful not to schedule surgery around the Scorpio full Moon on April 15.

Mars rules iron and machinery so it is not a good time to buy such items. Make sure all mechanical items are in good repair before Mars turns retrograde.

Actions to Take When Mars Is Retrograde:

Conserve your energy. Mars retrograde generates a lot of stress. Stress overworks the adrenals and thyroid glands leading to a feeling of tiredness and depletion in your body.

Monitor your frustration level. Frustrated, grouchy feelings are common when Mars is retrograde because of the lack of progress and movement. Does it really matter if you get through the check-out lane in seven minutes instead of five minutes?

Do remain calm when others act aggressively toward you. Confrontation is not advised at this time. Retrograde Mars square retrograde Jupiter can turn small issues into out-of-control, dangerous situations. You may be more accident prone—be careful and mindful. Fires can quickly grow out of control; practice care when using fire.

Spend time planning how you will conquer that job or love search when Mars resumes direct motion.

Pluto Retrograde from April 18, 2016 until September 26, 2016

Most of the time Pluto retrograde won’t be noticed on a daily basis. It is a transformative planet that works powerfully, but quietly, in the background.

Actions to Avoid when Pluto Is Retrograde:

Do not become overly suspicious of the motives of others. Do not create trouble where there is none.

Control and power issues can be your downfall under Pluto retrograde. Things to ponder and correct are: “Why do I continually give my power away?” Are you so defensive that you attract attacks from others?

Actions to Take When Pluto Is Retrograde:

Let go of unproductive attitudes such as rigid emotions, judgments and bias.

Determine what you really need. What are your true values? Is it acquiring more material asset; is it relationships; or is it peace of mind and a sense of knowing that you are making a difference? You must be true to yourself—think it over.

Spend time assessing any control issues. What makes you feel out of control? How do you act when you feel out of control? How are you trying to control others? How does your defensive attitude cause others to react negatively or aggressively toward you? Is it worth it to stay with a certain controlling person?

Pluto retrograde is a stellar time to gain greater control over your professional, financial and health concerns.

Think “regeneration” in all matters. Regeneration could mean internal cleansings, detox regimens, meditation, tai chi, chi gung, yoga or finding the motivation to seek psychological help for ongoing issues that have kept you stuck.

Pluto’s retrograde journey is an optimum time to tackle chronic or major health problems. Use Pluto’s ability to ferret out little known information and to find new medical research studies, etc. If your belief pattern permits, it would be an excellent time to visit a medical intuitive.

Mercury Retrograde from April 28, 2016 through May 22, 2016

I discussed Mercury Retrograde in a prior post. Some of the information is outdated, but much of it remains valid.

Use this pause in activity to shift your perspective, open your mind, reset your attitudes and priorities and to prepare for new options and possibilities.

Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come? – Rumi

March 2016 promises to be a life-changing month for many of us due to a solar eclipse on March 9 at 18 degrees Pisces and a lunar eclipse on March 23 at 3 degrees Libra/Aries.

All eclipses denote change and often mark a major turning point in your life. Because the solar eclipse occurs at a Supermoon, when the Moon is closer to the earth, the emotional energy will be running especially high.

March 9, 2016 Solar Eclipse

The sheer number of planets transiting through Pisces at the time of the eclipse illuminates the sign of Pisces and the planet Neptune. At the time of the eclipse: the South Node, Chiron, Sun, Moon, Neptune and Mercury are all in Pisces. The Piscean theme is for high spiritual insights, prophetic dreams and heightened intuition. It is also a theme for confusion, delusion and escapism. Now, more than ever we have a choice. Do we let ourselves sink into an abyss or do we follow our spiritual higher self into a fuller more healthful life?

With the Sun and Moon in Pisces conjunct the asteroid Chiron, another major eclipse theme is health and healing. The eclipse is opposed to the North Node and Jupiter in Virgo. Virgo is a sign that also has connections to healing energy. New health conditions could appear or new healing modalities for existing conditions could be revealed.

With the ongoing Uranus/Pluto square still in force, transformation is certainly the order of the day. Old routines and structures have been falling away for quite some time. The solar eclipse will give a push to those things that are crumbling. Once structures have crumbled the rebuilding and healing can begin.

Be wary of fear and pessimism during this time of high planetary energy. Saturn square Neptune can lead to melancholy and a defeatist attitude due to the frustration and limitations of Saturn. Jupiter also squares Saturn, which can manifest as a “push me” “pull me” dynamic or one step forward and two back. This is not the time to give up on your goals. Wait to evaluate where you are in relation to those goals when the energy is more grounded and more clarity prevails. This aspect is also a testing ground that asks: “How much do you want your stated goals?” “What are you willing to do to achieve them?”

Surprisingly, there are some good Pluto aspects. The solar eclipse is sextile Pluto and Jupiter is trine Pluto. Trines and sextiles are easy energy that requires a little push from you. If you use the Jupiter/Saturn square to reevaluate your goals and set your will to achieve them, this could be a very helpful aspect.

The March 23 Lunar Eclipse shifts the focus from Pisces to the Libra/Aries axis. Issues around relationships, “your stuff versus my stuff” and “how can I forge ahead without leaving you behind” are all part of the dynamics of this lunar eclipse. Watch for a new lunar eclipse article that I will be posting soon on Facebook and on my website www.astrology-classes.com.

The day after the lunar eclipse we have some excellent energy moving in:

Mercury trine Mars favors ideas and quick thinking

Sun trine Mars brings in a burst of energy.

It’s exciting to finally have some energizing, active energy showing up after the long, slow winter and the effects of the Saturn/Neptune square. This is an excellent time to start new projects, clear up any lingering relationship issues and to simply charge ahead in living your life. Mars turns retrograde on April 17 so try to put any new plans in place before that time.

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, and irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

This Valentine’s Day month opens with a lovely Venus/Neptune sextile in the signs of Capricorn (Venus) and Pisces (Neptune). This aspect is all about beauty, romance and a sense of the poetic and mystical. Because Venus is in the business sign of Capricorn we could even see a brief softening around the hard edges of business. Something could even show up in the news about big business showing some compassion and caring beyond their concern with the bottom dollar.

The mood shifts considerably on February 3rd when Mars sextiles Pluto at 16 degrees of Scorpio/Capricorn. This is certainly a good time to get busy and to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. You will be in the mood to forge ahead without letting anything stand in your way.

Watch the news on February 5-6 when the Sun squares Mars, Venus conjuncts Pluto and the Sun sextiles Uranus. This can be a very volatile time, both in your personal life and on the world front. Power struggles, social unrest, brawn over brain are just some of the possible manifestations of this energy. With Uranus in the picture there could be sudden, unpredictable happenings and results.

Reason returns somewhat on February 7. Mars squares the Sun, but also sextiles Venus, and Mercury trines Jupiter. Truth begins to emerge, and people and nations are in more of a mood to compromise and to work out solutions. In your personal life this could bring breakthroughs. For maximum benefit from this transit focus on the big picture, not the minute daily concerns.

On February 8, the New Moon at 19 degrees of Aquarius squares Mars in Scorpio and is inconjunct Uranus. It also activates the ongoing Uranus/Pluto square. The brief lull in aggressive activity is over and aggressive actions are again in focus until the next new Moon. Though you can’t do anything about the events in the larger world, you can focus on keeping your actions peaceful and cooperative during this rather trying time.

February 8 starts the Lunar Chinese New Year in the year of the fire monkey.

The month of January left many of us feeling lethargic, burnt out, tired and out of sorts. The good news is that Mars ramps up your activity level this month. Mars can wake us from our lethargy and help us pursue our goals.

Finally on February 10-15, easier energy enters the picture when Venus, and then Mars, trines Jupiter. The mood lightens considerably, fun returns to life and we are better able to move things along in a positive way. Aries and Scorpio may especially feel a release of some of the tension, but all of the fixed signs (Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius and Taurus) will feel this shift. Those signs will be able to make headway and push things full speed ahead before Mars turns retrograde on April 17.

On February 13 Mercury enters Aquarius, followed by Venus on February 16. This is a fitting placement for Valentine’s Day. It is not so much about romantic love, but love on a larger, grander scale. It is about caring for your neighbor whether that neighbor is next door or clear across the globe. It is truly about universal love and positive communication.

Finally, the Sun moves into Pisces on February 18 where it will be joined by the New Moon on March 8-9 to form a solar total eclipse.

Happy Valentine’s Day

* * * * *

Astrology Readings

Many of you have inquired about my astrology readings. My full readings cover your current solar return year ahead, the current transits and your progressions. My astrology readings are $125 for one-hour readings and $65.00 for half hour readings and include a recorded MP3 of the reading. Readings will be done via telephone in the U.S. and through online chat for all others. Payment is through Paypal.

Let’s Keep the Positive Energy Flowing

Thank you so much for signing up for my newsletter and for letting others know about me. As always, its wonderful hearing from you with any comments or suggestions. I sincerely appreciate it and I sincerely appreciate you. It makes me so happy to see that my articles and newsletters are being read and shared. It means that more people are becoming aware of the amazing ability of astrology to help them guide their lives in a positive way.

If you could please help me spread the word on astrology by forwarding my newsletter or sharing an article from my website or Facebook, I would really appreciate it. The planets want to help us live a happy, fulfilling life, but we need to do our part.

Thank you again for your continued support. If you wish to contact me, please send an email to astroclasses@yahoo.com or call me at (720) 362-3305. Ruby